Service-box cover.



P. M. LANE. SERVICE BOX COVER. APPLIOA'IIOH nun JUNE 4, 1m.

1,093,275. H Patented Apr. 14, 1914,

mmlron L w n e A TTORIVEY FRANK M. LANE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

SERVICE-BOX COVER.

ooama I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 14, 191 1.

Application filed June 4, 1918. Serial No. 771,756.

To all whom. it maconcern Be it known t at I, FRANK M. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Service-Box Covers of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to covers for service boxes, manholes, meter boxes, stog'p cock boxes and similar ap liances used in connection with municipawater supply systems, and its object is to provide a simple and inexpensive lock for such covers.

With this object in view the invention consists in a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the box and its cover. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the cover. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the turn button for locking the cover. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the key for operatin the turn button.

in the drawing 10 denotes a box having at the top an inturned flange 11 extending entirely around the same, on which flange thecover 12 rests. The box may be round, elliptical or square, and the cover is shaped correspondingly. On one side of the cover is 2. lug 13 which is cast integral with the cover, and is located near the edge thereof and spaced from the bottom, so that it may he slipped under the flange 11.

Diametrically opposite the lug 13, the cover 12 carries a housing 14 for a turnbutton 15, whereby the cover is locked. The housing has outstanding, diametrically opposite arms 16 whereby it is bolted to the bottom of the cover. That portion of the housing which is next to the edge of the cover is open, and is set back far enough from the rim of the cover to clear the flange 11 when the cover is put on, and the bot tom of the housing is spaced a sufiicient distance from the bottom of theicover to accommodate the locking device 15, the same being a disk which is guided by the housing. The disk is located in the housing in such a manner that it may project from the open portion thereof to engage the under side of the flange 11, when it is turned to a certain position, and said disk is cut away straight on one side to such as extent that when the straight edge 17 thereof comes, op-

posite the open ortion of the housing, said edge 11es, entire y within the housing, and thedisk therefore clears the flange 11 to p'ermit removal of the cover. To look the cover, the disk is turned until its rounded edge pro ects from the housing and engages under the flange. The disk 15 has a keyhole 18 so that a key 19 may be applied to r0- tate the disk, the cover having a correspond in keyhole 20.

t will be noted that the disk is dished, the concave side being opposite the bottom of the cover 12, and spaced therefrom by four lugs 21 cast with the cover adjacent to the key hole 20. On the floor of the housing are four upstanding lugs 22 which engage the bottom or convex side of the disk. By these means, the disk is supported in the housing in such a manner that it is prevented from sticking tight by being frozen. The dished shape of the disk permits complete drainage, and as the points of contact provided by the lugs are very small, there is no danger of the disk freezing tight.

The structure herein described provides a lock which is dirt and frost proof, and which cannot be tampered with by unauthorized persons. The structure is also very simple, there being only one moving part. The floor of the. housing has a drain opening 23 in line with the keyhole 18, said opening also preventing dirt from collecting on said floor to clog the locking disk. To apply the cover, it is tilted sidewise so that the lug 13 may be slipped under the flange 11, after which the cover is dropped down, and the disk 15 is rotated until it projects from the housing under the flange. Upon rotating the disk until it clears the flange, the cover is released and it can then be re moved. a

I claim:

1. A cover having a housing on one side adjacent to the rim, the portion of the housing which is next to the rim being open, a turn-button in the housing, said turn-button being spaced from the cover and rotatable to project from the housing and to be retracted thereinto, the cover and the housing having lugs between which the turnbutton is rotatably held, and said turn-button being dished, one set of lugs engaging the concave side of the turn-button and the other set of lugs engaging the convex side thereof.

2. A cover having a housing on one side adjacent to the rim, the portion of the housing which is next to the rim being open, a turn-button in the housing, said turn-button being spaced from the cover and rota table to project from the housing and to be retracted thereinto, the cover and the turnbutton having apertures to permit the appiication of an operating devlce to the turnbutton, and the housing in alinement with said apertures.

3. A cover having a housing on one side adjacent to the rim, the portion of the housing which is next to the rim being open, a turn-button in the housing, said turn-button being spaced from the cover and rotatable to project from the housing and to be retractedithereinto, the cover and the houshaving an opening.

ing having lugs between which the turnbuttcn is rotatably held, and said turn-but ton being dished and having a central opening, one set of lugs engaging the concave side of the turn-button, and the other set of lugs engaging the convex side thereof, and the housing having an opening in alinement with the central openingof the turnbutton, and the cover having an opening to permit access to the turn-button.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature In presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK M. LANE.

Witnesses:

C. A. MCALLISTER, J. F. KILPATRIGK. 

